Disk drive integrated lead head suspensions having a spring metal base layer, an insulating dielectric layer and conductor elements, such as traces or leads and electrical bond or termination pads, in a conductor layer are known and disclosed, for example in the Komatsubara et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,841,737 and the Shiraishi et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,891,700. These devices generally include a flexure mounted to a spring metal load beam. The flexure typically includes a spring metal layer with a plurality of conductors, leads or traces extending between terminal pads on opposite ends of the flexure. A layer of insulating material separates the traces from the underlying spring metal layer. A cover layer may be formed over portions of the traces so as to extend from the insulating layer up over the tops and sides of the traces.
Subtractive and/or additive processes can be used to manufacture these devices. Subtractive manufacturing processes as disclosed in, for example, the Bennin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,193 use photolithography and etching processes to form the flexure from laminate material stock having a spring metal layer and conductor layer separated by an insulating layer. Additive manufacturing processes as disclosed, for example, in the Matsumoto et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,717 use photolithography, deposition and etching processes to add the insulating layer, conductor layer and other structures to the spring metal layer.
In one example of an additive manufacturing process, a photoimageable insulating layer (e.g., polyimide or other polymer) is deposited onto the spring metal base layer. A photolithography process is then used to pattern the insulating layer. Conductive elements such as traces and terminal pads are subsequently deposited onto the patterned insulating layer. In this manner, the deposited conductor elements follow the contour and surface topography of the patterned insulating layer. An insulating cover layer may subsequently be deposited onto certain areas of the conductor elements. Specific regions of the insulating layer may be removed such as by etching or other processes to expose both surfaces of the conductor layer to create, for example, flying termination leads, head termination pads or flying gimbal leads. The exposed surfaces of the flying leads and termination pads may be electrically connected to disk drive circuitry or magnetic head terminals through soldering or ultrasonic bonding processes.
There remains a need for integrated lead head suspensions providing improved interlayer adhesion, reduced tool wear, improved vision system inspection characteristics, and enhanced mechanical, thermal and aerodynamic performance. To be commercially viable, any such suspensions or suspension components must be capable of being efficiently manufactured.